I've never ridden the original version, either, but I had heard about the boat being bitten, but not the explpoding shark. It's too bad they couldn't keep that ending, but I guess it wasn't very practical. Thanks for posting that video.

From the Universal Orlando Resort facebook."It’s our first 2012 SNEAK PEEK… And Spidey fans should get excited!

Check out what Hobgoblin will look like in the completely re-animated Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man! Yeah, we’re pretty stoked... How about you?"__________________

I'm personally excited for the re-animation and updates, that ride is one of my favorite rides I've been on. I'm really excited to see the graphical updates to his pumpkins, he has one of my favorite scenes on the ride. "Trick or treat, smell my feet, time to blow you off the street!"

Universal Orlando has released a press release in conjunction with the web conference announcements letting everyone know that 2012 is "the year to be here" at the Universal Orlando Resort.

2012 IS THE YEAR TO BE HERE! Universal Orlando Resort to Offer More New Entertainment Experiences Across the Entire Destination than During Any Other Year in its History. Universal Releases First-Ever Looks at All-New Experiences, Including Upcoming Despicable Me Attraction, New Interactive Parade and Spectacular Nighttime Show

This year, Universal Orlando Resort will debut more adventure, excitement, laughter and awe-inspiring moments than ever before – making 2012 an extraordinary year to be here.

There will be something for everyone and every family. From a new Blue Man Group show and newly re-created experience inside one of Universal Orlando’s most popular attractions to a stunning parade, spectacular nighttime show and brand-new blockbuster attraction based on an incredibly popular film – Universal Orlando Resort is bringing guests more new entertainment across our entire destination in 2012 than during any other year in our history.

The new experiences will begin debuting in February. Guests will discover the exhilarating entertainment of a new Blue Man Group show; marvel at breathtaking new animation and effects in The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man; dance and celebrate with their favorite animated characters during Universal’s Superstar Parade and relive memorable moments from Universal Pictures most powerful and beloved films during the nighttime show Universal’s Cinematic Spectacular – 100 Years of Movie Memories. And coming this summer – families will laugh together as they are transformed into minions for an incredible adventure inside the new Despicable Me Minion Mayhem attraction.

Universal Orlando will also be marking the Universal Pictures Centennial Anniversary Celebration during 2012 with a series of events to be announced throughout the year.

“We are about to offer our guests a historic range of incredible new entertainment experiences,” said Alice Norsworthy, Executive Vice President of Marketing and Sales for Universal Orlando Resort. “This year will be filled with excitement and entertainment for the entire family.”

The new 2012 experiences at Universal Orlando Resort include:

Blue Man Group ~ Opening February 2012 at Universal CityWalkUniversal Orlando’s Blue Man Group show is taking their unique and captivating mash-up of high energy music, comedy, audience participation and collective exhilaration to another level. Featuring a new show environment, new music, new technology and new experiences, the show will allow audiences to join the Blue Men as they discover, engage and explore the world’s obsession with cutting-edge technology. Signature Blue Man Group moments combine with breathtakingly fun new pieces for an explosive evening of entertainment. New show elements include the curious Blue Men interacting with enormous “GiPads,” a funny and insightful look at contemporary communication vehicles, and a pulsating new finale with an original Blue Man Group music score that will have guests jumping to their feet. Look closely – you may even see the Blue Men take a spin on one of Universal Orlando's most popular attractions.

The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man ~ Experience March 2012 at Islands of AdventureUniversal Orlando is transforming what is already one of the most amazing attraction experiences ever created into what will feel like an all-new adventure. The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man will soon feature all-new, 4K digital high-definition animation, new high tech 3-D glasses and upgrades to the set, audio and lighting systems. The re-animation of the ride film will include an entirely new level of detail for guests to discover, including a cameo by legendary comic book icon and Spider-Man co-creator, Stan Lee.

Universal’s Superstar Parade ~ Opening Spring 2012 at Universal Studios FloridaSome of today’s most beloved characters and stories will bring new adventure to the streets of Universal Studios during Universal’s Superstar Parade – an all-new daily parade that features larger-than-life floats, state-of-the-art technology and hundreds of energetic street performers. Guests will sing and dance along with characters like the minions from Despicable Me, E.B. from the hit comedy, Hop, Nickelodeon’s Dora & Diego and SpongeBob SquarePants during the interactive experience. Guests will have the opportunity to enjoy performances and character meet and greets prior to the parade at select locations throughout the day.

Universal’s Cinematic Spectacular: 100 Years of Movie Memories ~ Opening Spring 2012 at Universal Studios FloridaNarrated by award-winning actor and recent Golden Globe - Cecil B. DeMille honoree, Morgan Freeman, Universal Orlando’s brand-new nighttime show, Universal’s Cinematic Spectacular, will celebrate the most powerful and emotional moments from Universal Pictures’ most iconic films – all on cutting-edge waterfall screens within the Universal Studios lagoon and surrounded by colorful fountains and pyrotechnics. The experience will take guests on a journey through epic cinematic moments filled with heroes, horror, laughter, good vs. evil and triumph. The new show opens this spring, runs all summer and then on select nights through the end of the year.

Despicable Me Minion Mayhem ~ Opening Summer 2012 at Universal Studios FloridaUniversal Orlando’s newest attraction, Despicable Me Minion Mayhem, will take guests on an unforgettable 3-D adventure with their favorite characters from the hit film – Gru, Margo, Edith, Agnes and the mischievous minions. The experience begins when guests enter Gru’s home, where they learn that they’re being recruited to become minions and undergo “minion training.” Things don’t go as planned, and guests find themselves on a wildly hysterical journey with Gru and his daughters. Once guests make it through training, they join an interactive, minion-inspired dance party where they can show off their best moves.

Universal’s Creative team is working closely with Chris Meledandri’s Illumination Entertainment to bring this all-new adventure to life in the most authentic way possible. In fact, the beloved characters in the attraction will be voiced by the film’s original cast: Steve Carell (Gru), Miranda Cosgrove (Margo), Dana Gaier (Edith) and Elsie Fisher (Agnes). The ride’s experience is being developed by the same creative team that brought you the award-winning film, Despicable Me. The motion-picture event Despicable Me 2 arrives in theaters on July 3, 2013.

Other New Experiences Opening this YearHollywood Drive-In Golf, a unique 36-hole miniature golf experience inspired by the classic drive-in movie era, will open in February at Universal CityWalk.A great, new immersive retail entertainment experience that will become home to SpongeBob SquarePants and other characters from the number one kids animated TV series, Nickelodeon’s SpongeBob SquarePants. It will open inside Universal Studios this year.

Minutes away from Universal Orlando, the popular Wet ‘n Wild water park will open its first interactive family water play area, this summer – allowing everyone in the family to splash and swim together. Amidst lush, tropical landscaping, the new area will feature 15 water slides and more than 100 soakers, jets, waterfalls and water cannons - making it the largest interactive water play experience in Florida.

This year, Universal Orlando® Resort will debut more adventure, excitement, laughter and awe-inspiring moments than ever before in our history! There's something spectacular for everyone in every family!

Marvel at the breath-taking all-new animation and effects in The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man®.

Interact with the minions from Despicable Me, E.B. from Hop and Nickelodeon's Dora & Diego and SpongeBob SquarePants during Universal's Superstar Parade.

The new rides, shows and attractions will debut throughout 2012 as part of Universal Pictures' 100th anniversary celebration.

Start making plans now to be part of the biggest year ever at Universal Orlando!

So here are my observations and notes from today's web conference that includes some additional information not directly referenced in the press release.

Blue Man Group's updates will retain some of the more popular show experiences but will feature a good of new acts

According to Mark Woodbury, The Amazing Adventures of Spiderman will feel like an entirely new experience when it reopens this March. Universal is updating the sets, audio, lighting and special effects to match the new 4K digital high quality video being installed. The timing of the ride will be adjusted to allow for more time spent in each show scene. It was heavily stressed that there would be plenty of new things to see in the updated ride footage when the attraction reopens.

The Universal Superstar Parade is to have show stops with interactive dance experiences. The characters from the parade will also be available to meet guests before the parade. The Universal Superstar Parade is set to perform once per day.

A new retail experience is being developed for Spongebob Squarepants and will include a meet and greet location for the characters from the show. This experience is expected to be located in the KidZone section of the park.

The Universal Cinematic Spectacular not only includes water jets and waterfall screens, but will also include pyrotechnics. The show will be narrated by Morgan Freeman and is meant to be seen from any angle around the park's lagoon.

Despicable Me Minion Mayhem early animation showed off guests being "Minionized," bouncing down into Gru's laboratory.

Also discussed were the dates of when attractions and offerings would be arriving over the next year.

Blue Man Group and the Hollywood Drive-In Mini Golf will both open this February.

The Amazing Adventures of Spiderman will reopen in March

The Universal Cinematic Spectacular and the Universal Superstar Parade will both debut in the Spring

Despicable Me Minion Mayhem and the new water play area at Wet n' Wild will both open in the Summer

Universal Orlando is transforming The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man - one of the most amazing attraction experiences ever created - into what will feel like an all-new adventure. The award-winning attraction will soon feature all-new, 4K digital high definition animation, new high-tech 3-D glasses and upgrades to the set, audio and lighting systems. The reanimation of the ride film will include an entirely new level of detail for guests to discover, including a cameo by legendary comic book icon and Spider-Man co-creator, Stan Lee. The enhanced experience will debut in March 2012.

Already one of the most popular and innovative theme park attractions ever created, The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man at Universal?s Islands of Adventure continues to raise the bar for theme park entertainment ? combining advanced motion-based ride vehicles, 3-D digital film and live special effects to create an unparalleled ride experience.

Universal Orlando's newest attraction, Despicable Me Minion Mayhem, will take guests on an unforgettable 3-D adventure with their favorite characters from the hit film - Gru, Margo, Edith, Agnes and the mischievous minions. The experience begins when guests enter Gru's home, where they learn that they're being recruited to become minions and undergo "minion training." Things don't go as planned, and guests find themselves on a wildly hysterical journey with Gru and his daughters. The highly-anticipated attraction opens this summer at Universal Studios Florida.

Some of today's most beloved characters and stories will bring new adventure to the streets of Universal Studios during Universal's Superstar Parade - an all-new daily parade that features larger-than-life floats, state-of-the-art technology and hundreds of energetic street performers. Guests will sing and dance along with characters like the minions from Despicable Me, E.B. from the hit comedy, Hop, Nickelodeon's Dora & Diego and SpongeBob SquarePants during the interactive experience, which will open this spring.

Universal Orlando's Blue Man Group show is taking their unique and captivating mash-up of high energy music, comedy, audience participation and collective exhilaration to another level. Opening in February, the new show will feature a new environment, new music, new technology and new experiences. Audiences will join the Blue Men as they discover, engage and explore the world's obsession with cutting-edge technology.

Guests visiting Universal Orlando Resort can experience the world-renowned and outrageously fun Blue Man Group show at Universal CityWalk. The one-of-a-kind show combines music, comedy and multimedia theatrics to create the blissful party atmosphere that is a Blue Man Group trademark.

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